This invention relates to a machine for continuously developing photographic films having different formats and different patterns of perforations. More particularly, this invention relates to a continuous film developing machine of the type having a series of treatment baths consecutively arranged in the path of movement of the film and cooperating with dosing devices for additionally filling regenerative agents into the bath, whereby each bath cooperates with one of a plurality of valves controlled by a control device and each being preadjusted for feeding a predetermined amount of processing liquid into the bath corresponding to the format of the film being processed. The valves, adjustable according to the format of the film, for feeding different doses of the processing liquid in the bath, are described in German patent application No. P 25 29 007.7.
The continuous film developing machine described in the above-mentioned patent application permits the processing of films having different formats. The additional admission of the regeneration liquid for the bath is effected by a dosing device, including a set of filling valves assigned to each bath and being adjusted respectively to different formats of the processed film. These valves are connected to an inlet conduit for the fresh bath liquid and communicate with the respective bath containers. The flow rate of each valve is individually adjustable to a predetermined film format. The adjustment can occur, for example, by series-connected switching or magnetic valves. These switching or magnetic valves are preferably hand controlled by the operator via control elements located at the control panel of the apparatus.
In the machine according to the aforementioned patent application, which operates substantially automatically, a disadvantage is to be seen in the fact that the dosing device has to be manually adjusted for each different format of the film. The operator can easily forget to readjust the dosing device when a change from one film format to another format takes place, especially when films having different formats are wound on a common spool, since film developing laboratories usually tend to avoid the use of an intermediate spacer strip between consecutive film strips. Instead, such laboratories prefer to wind different formats on a single spool until its full capacity is reached. Even if the operator takes all necessary precautions it is frequently difficult to switch over the developing machine at the correct points in time.